Kilkenny Are Unstoppable In The Final

A Roundup Of The GAA Championship Action From Jackie Cahill

All-Ireland SHC Final
Kilkenny 2-17 Tipperary 1-16

It was billed as the unification bout - the one that would decide it all. And following the third successive All-Ireland SHC final meeting between Kilkenny and Tipperary, the Cats are back with the cream.

A four-point victory against 2010 winners Tipperary in front of 81,214 spectators at Croke Park last Sunday was fully-merited.

All over the field, Kilkenny were supreme, stifling the space available to a potentially lethal Tipp attack.

Incredibly, Tipp's six starting forwards registered just three points from play between them - with Eoin Kelly and 2010 Hurler of the Year Lar Corbett, hat-trick goal hero last September, both held scoreless from play.

At the other end, Kilkenny picked off the scores they needed, including two goals at crucial times, to claim a 33rd All-Ireland SHC crown.

And when the dust settled, 'King' Henry Shefflin had pocketed an eighth medal to cap a remarkable comeback from a serious knee injury.

In the 2010 decider, Shefflin hobbled off with the recurrence of the cruciate ligament problem that had threatened his participation in the final.

Twelve months later, the Ballyhale Shamrocks wizard was in dreamland again.

But Shefflin wasn't the only history-maker as Eddie Brennan, Noel Hickey and unused sub Michael Kavanagh also collected their eighth Celtic cross.

But all eight of Shefflin's have been won on the field of play as he joined the illustrious company of Cork's revered icon Christy Ring and Tipperary legend John Doyle, who also won their eight on the field of play.

Afterwards, Kilkenny boss Brian Cody hailed his team's achievement as their finest to date.

And Cody has now masterminded eight All-Ireland wins in 13 seasons as manager - a quite phenomenal achievement.

He admitted that huge thought had gone into the match-ups around the field, with Jackie Tyrrell doing a supreme man-marking job on Corbett, while Hickey curbed the influence of Kelly.

Tommy Walsh, JJ Delaney and Paul Murphy were also superb in the Kilkenny defence and their hunger for victory was highlighted in one cameo moment when Colin Fennelly risked life and limb to block Corbett, ending up with a split head for his troubles.

Kilkenny put their bodies on the line for this one, with the hurt of last year's defeat fuelling another MacCarthy Cup success.

It's a far cry from their League final slump against Dublin, with Cody railing against the critics who wrote off his team in May.

Kilkenny, 6/4 outsiders before throw-in, led by 1-8 to 0-6 at half-time, with midfielder Michael Fennelly streaking through for a superb 35th minute goal.

Shefflin knocked over three first half points and his direct marker from the start, John O'Keeffe, was substituted with just over 20 minutes on the clock.

Kilkenny had their homework done and targeted O'Keeffe from the outset, with the imperious Walsh spraying diagonal ball from the right half back position into Shefflin's left half forward patch.

It took Tipp 16 minutes to register their first score of the game and incredibly, they managed just two from play in the entire first half.

In the first half skirmishes, referee Brian Gavin, who had a solid outing, was a casualty of a stray hurl which caught him flush on the nose.

Recognising the severity of the situation, Tipp manager Declan Ryan introduced Benny Dunne and Pa Bourke at half-time, while he also substituted centre back Conor O'Mahony and forward John O'Brien, one of the Premier County's more impressive performers, during the second half.

At one stage, Tipp trailed by eight but they managed to get back to within three before Kilkenny closed the game out.

And they were helped on their way by a majestic Richie Hogan goal in the 49th minute, almost a carbon copy of Corbett's third in last year's final.

The honour of lifting the Liam MacCarthy cup fell to Brian Hogan from the O'Loughlin Gaels club, the reigning champions in Kilkenny.

And who would bet against another black and amber clad player climbing the Hogan Stand steps again nex September to accept the precious silverware.

***

Galway collected a ninth All-Ireland minor hurling crown with a 1-21 to 1-12 victory against Dublin at rain-soaked Croke Park last Sunday.

The rain cleared away for the senior decider but the minors battled it out in dreadful weather conditions.

At the final whistle, the young Tribesmen collected the Irish Press Cup to hand Mattie Murphy his sixth All-Ireland success at this grade.

At half-time, Galway led by 0-10 to 0-4 before Shane Maloney scored the crucial second half goal.

Ciaran Kilkenny scored a late goal for Dublin but it was merely consolation as the trophy headed West.